The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously approved the “Community Disaster Mitigation Zones Act” on March 30. Introduced by Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) and Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH), the bill would make permanent FEMA’s National Risk Index – developed by the agency to measure a community’s vulnerability to various hazards – and would use the index to identify specific census tracts across the country that are most at risk. The bill would also approve additional mitigation and planning funding for projects occurring in or benefiting those areas. The bill is supported by the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC), a group of more than 850 local, state, and national organizations working to ensure that all disaster survivors receive the assistance they need to fully recover. The bill will now go to the floor of the Senate for consideration.
“Mitigation projects are the key to helping communities that are most vulnerable to natural disasters protect residents from these extreme weather events,” said Senator Peters. “Unfortunately, these communities often lack the necessary resources to fund efforts like flood walls, better storm water management facilities, and more. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation – which has now advanced in the Senate – will help the public and private sectors identify what areas require the most assistance to build resilient infrastructure. These investments will not only help ensure at-risk populations are safe from extreme weather events but also save taxpayer dollars in the long run.”
“I’m pleased this legislation has advanced from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee because in states like Ohio, not every community has the same vulnerabilities or experiences the same level of catastrophic outcomes for the same type of disaster,” said Senator Portman. “While natural disasters can be highly unpredictable, FEMA has risk index tools to help us know where we should prioritize our disaster mitigation funding. Research has found that for every $1 invested into mitigation, communities are saved $6 due to reduced future losses. This bill will help states and communities prioritize and focus these mitigation programs to ensure we maximize the safety and well-being of future disaster victims, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass it soon.”
Read the bill at: https://bit.ly/3ITRjAQ
Read a press release about the bill released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at: https://bit.ly/3tYquXS